Agenda item

Report of the Director of Transportation, Highways and Sustainability

The Cabinet Member for City Services considered a report of the Director of Transportation, Highways and Sustainability, that sought approval for the implementation of a revised parking tariff structure across the Council operated on and off-street parking facilities, following a review of charges.

In February 2023, the Council approved the Chief Operating Officer (Section 151 Officer) Budget Report 2023-2024 which included a series of financial proposals for the Council’s revenue and capital budget for 2023/24. The report proposed an increase in parking fees by an average of 5% to grow car park income by an additional £150k per year.

The City Centre Car Park Strategy set out the aims and policies for managing parking within Coventry city centre. It included objectives relating to the management of supply and demand for parking to encourage economic growth. Car parking charges were a mechanism available to the Council to help manage on and off-street parking to encourage turnover of spaces in the seventeen Council operated off-street car parks in Coventry, providing approximately 3,500 parking spaces.

Car park prices in Coventry had remained unchanged since 2017 despite inflation running at 25% since then. This was the only time that charges had increased since 2010. The existing tariff structure (Appendix 1 to the report referred) was coherent and, in the main, was consistent across the Council’s parking facilities.

All car park operators, including the Council, must run their car parks as a commercial operation to be financially viable and deliver financial targets. Parking income had understandably declined during the COVID-19 pandemic and had not recovered to pre-pandemic levels, currently 20% less than it was before the pandemic.

It was proposed that a schedule of on and off-street parking charges be agreed that reflected the Council’s need to grow income and rising operational costs, whilst not acting as a deterrent to car users. It was anticipated that a growth in income could be achieved through other measures rather than a direct increase in the cost of daytime parking and, as such, most rates would remain the same representing a cost reduction in real terms.

The Parking Services Manager indicated that in respect of the footfall relating to the impact of the charges, the impact on local shops, and encouraging people into the city centre, an analysis had been undertaken.

The Cabinet Member emphasised there were no increases in day-time car parking charges to city centre car parks from Monday to Saturdays, it was only evening and Sunday charges that would be increased.

RESOLVED that the Cabinet Member for City Services:

1)  Approves the revision to the car parking tariff structure in line with the proposals set out in the report.

2)  Subject to the approval of recommendation 1) above, instructs officers to commence the process of amending the relevant Traffic Regulation Orders and advertising the relevant Notice of Variations to the said Traffic Regulation Orders and the Off-Street Parking Order.

3)  Approves a recommendation to make Wellington Street and Holmsdale Road car parks chargeable in accordance with the tariff structure for suburban car parks, subject to consideration of any objections in accordance with the applicable legislation.

4)  Subject to the approval of recommendation 3) above, instructs officers to commence the process of advertising the Notice of Variation to formally vary the Off-Street Parking Order.